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Apology of the Paxton Volunteers - 14

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one of the Indians lately killed at Lancaster---that he suffered the Indians to come pretty near, & then discovering himself called to Bill Sock to come to him imagining he was going as usual to Fort Augusta, where he had often seen him among the Indians;---that the Indians then immediately halted, & after consulting about a minute ran off with their greatest Speed; which at that Time much surprized this Deponent, as the sd. Sock had always pretended Friendship, & no Violence or Threats were then offered to them, & neither this Deponent nor any of his Party had any Intention to injure them: That upon this Deponents proceeding down to Hunters, he was informed that an Old Man had been killed in that Neighborhood the Day before; and as no other Mischief was done at that Time in those Parts, nor no Account of any other Indians being seen or heard of on that Quarter at that Time, the sd. Bill Sock & his Companion a strange Indian were suspected & believed to be the Perpetrators of that Murder.--That he this Deponent before this Time had frequently seen Bill Sock with his Brothers & others of the Conestogoe Indians at Fort Augusta, & often met them on the Communication carrying up Keggs of Whiskey & other things to trade with the other Indians there, but that after this Murder the sd. Bill Sock did not appear at that Garison for near four months, & then came there with a Number of other Indians from up the River above the Fort, at which Time he behaved in a different manner than usual, not coming into the Fort nor being so familiar as formerly. And farther this Deponent saith not

Sworn & subscribed
The 28th of Feb: 1764
John Hambright
Before me Robert Thompson

It would be endless, & we apprehend unnecessary, to transcribe Oaths upon this Head. We have it in our Power to prove upon the Oath of a Person of unquestionable Veracity who was present at & heard a Conversation between George Sock a Conestogoe Indian & another strange Indian who came down to the Treaty at Lancaster; that when the sd. Indian reproached sd. Sock that he was no Man & had no Business at the Treaty, said Sock replied, that altho’ he had taken no Prisoners yet he had during the Course of the War killed six White Men; upon which the other Indian rose up, took him by the Hand & drank to him as to a Brother. It can also be proved that Canary Sam called the sd. Sock a Thief, for that he living among the white People had stolen six Scalps, & had brought them to the Indian Town where sd. Sam was at the Time. And it is a thing notorious that strange Indians were frequently seen among the Conestogoe Indians at their Manor, would tarry some Time, have a War Dance, and then depart.

Contents of this annotation:

  1. Apology of the Paxton Volunteers - 14